April 04, 2008

Books for kids - always a good cause

There are many reasons to appreciate Left Bank Books. On April 5th they give us another one when they kick off a partnership with CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) that will both raise money for the organization, and give customers opportunities to purchase books for children in the foster care system. Below are details about the initiative which begins on Saturday with a visit from author Ashley Rhodes-Courter, a former foster care kid, who recounts her experiences in her memoir Three Little Words.

From the West End Word ...“Beginning with Rhodes-Courter’s visit at 4 p.m. April 5, Left Bank Books is partnering with the Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children in St. Louis County — volunteers who act in the best interest of foster kids in court and elsewhere — to create a list of books that Left Bank customers can purchase for local foster kids. The permanent program will help kids own their own books, another rarity for kids in foster care.

Left Bank will also donate 10 percent of its sales of Rhodes-Courter’s book through the end of April to CASA, and on April 5, following Rhodes-Courter’s visit to the bookstore, Duff’s, Sapphire Pan Asian and Dressel’s Pub will donate 10 percent of their sales to CASA of St. Louis County.

“It’s not just Left Bank Books doing an event, it’s the whole neighborhood coming together for this cause,” said Lisa Greening, co-owner of Left Bank.”

So if you are looking for a place to go to dinner on Saturday night, perhaps consider one of the spots above. If you are looking for a gift for someone, consider buying a book for a foster child in the name of the gift recipient. Seems like a nice idea for Mother's Day...